When playing any percussion instrument, the manner in which the striking implement is held in the musician's hands is critical. Additionally, the percussion instrument and the style of music to be played also dictates the type of striking implement to be used. However, for virtually every style of music and every type of percussion instrument, there is always a need for the percussionist to have the capability of striking the percussion instrument as rapidly as possible.
To achieve this goal, a number of innovations have been implemented. In some cases, ordinary drumsticks are used, but the placement of the drumsticks within the percussionist's hands can be varied. For example, the use of four mallets is not unusual for playing a vibraphone or a marimba. When playing a vibraphone, the mallets are held by the percussionist in what is commonly called a Burton grip. When playing a marimba, the mallets are held by the percussionist in what is commonly known as a Musser grip. Both of these grips allow for a quick spreading apart of the mallets to adjust for the interval to be played on the keyboard, and both utilize a bending of the wrist and a rotation of the wrist to execute various strokes. However, neither of these grips works well for playing drums with ordinary drumsticks.
In other cases, drumsticks themselves have been specially designed to meet the specific playing need of the percussionist. Some inventions include variations on the tip of the drumstick to allow for rapid beating, while other inventions include variations to the gripping area of the drumstick to allow for variations in the grip.
Examples of variations on the tip of the drumsticks can be found in a number of patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,617 issued to Schwartz discloses a drumstick having an elongated main body with one striking tip and a second elongated ancillary body having a separate striking tip. The second elongated body is pivotally attached to the first elongated main body and allows the percussionist to execute multiple drum beat rolls. U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,013 issued to Menard discloses a drumstick in the general shape of a pitch fork. The invention includes the addition of two extra tips in conjunction with the single tip at the end of the drumstick body. In a more complicated vein, U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,635 issued to Maldacker shows a drumstick including multiheaded mallets. One of the mallets is fixed while each of the other mallets is adjustable.
Examples of variations to the grip are shown in a number of other patents. U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,451 issued to Gress discloses a drumstick which includes a pivot knob attached to the body of the drumstick. By moving each end of the drumstick around the pivot, the shape of the drumstick changes to allow the percussionist to adjust the grip of the drumstick in various manners and styles. U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,062 issued to Thoman discloses a drumstick having a unique ergonomic grip that allows the percussionist to play a percussion instrument using the drumstick for a long period of time while preventing the percussionist from experiencing unnecessary fatigue, discomfort, or pain. U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,308 issued to Rabb shows a drumstick having a series of ridges that produce sounds different than other drumsticks. The ridges are drawn over an object such as another drumstick or a drum rim to produce the different sounds.
In an effort to provide a drumstick in which the percussionist can adjust the overall balance of the drumstick, U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,260 issued to LaLonde discloses a drumstick having an adjustable weight system incorporated into the interior portion of the drumstick. An interior weight within the drumstick allows the percussionist to move the weight axially toward or away from the playing tip of the drumstick. U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,887 discloses a drumstick having an intermediate adjustment pivot. The pivot can be positioned to allow the drummer the vary the grip of the drumstick. U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,470 shows a drumstick having a series of surface interruptions on the drumstick. These surface interruptions are generally configured to be evenly spaced square grooves on the diameter of the drumstick. These grooves act to provide the percussionist with the ability to keep a firm grip on the drumstick during a performance.
The shape of the drumstick disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,508 issued to Huslig includes a flattened area on the drumstick. This allows the percussionist to maintain a more positive and comfortable grip on the drumstick. U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,836 issued to Baumgart shows a drumstick in which recesses have been made in the drumstick handle to allow for the positioning of the various fingers of the hand when the drumstick is being used to play a percussion instrument.
While all of the above inventions are intended to allow the percussionist to have the ability to strike a percussion instrument rapidly, each of these inventions does not allow the percussionist to strike rapidly, while also allowing for a comfortable grip that can be adjusted easily to match the style of music being performed or the particular playing style of the percussionist.